


every day will start with a grateful prayer and a thankful heart

by foreverfelicityqueen (stydiasredstring)



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Family, Fluff, Gen, Thanksgiving, i just wanted to write something because it's thanksgiving in the US tomorrow, tired dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:26:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21589936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stydiasredstring/pseuds/foreverfelicityqueen
Summary: Oliver is getting ready to feed some of his extended family for Thanksgiving, but with a house full of kids, two of them barely over three months, did he break off more than he can handle on his own?
Relationships: Dinah Drake/Tommy Merlyn, Nyssa al Ghul/Sara Lance, Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, Quentin Lance/Donna Smoak, Roy Harper/Thea Queen
Comments: 20
Kudos: 115





	every day will start with a grateful prayer and a thankful heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AllHaleOlicity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllHaleOlicity/gifts).



> This takes place in the collective Arrow Next Gen verse that we have been cultivating for a long time. In case you are confused on any of Olicity's kiddos here I will post them in the end notes, as well as their ages for the this fic. 
> 
> P.S. Yes I stole the title from a song in a Christmas movie. Sue me there's not a lot of Thanksgiving tunes out there.

“Dad this is insane even for you,” Will said from across the island counter. “I mean 10 kids are coming, under the age of 12. Wouldn’t it be easier to throw cheese puffs at them and then order pizza?”

“We’re not throwing cheese puffs at your siblings and cousins,” Oliver said as he took his third turkey out of the fridge. “Everyone coming is expecting a grand Queen family meal, and that’s what we're gonna give them. That’s why I have five ovens.”

“Oven’s aside, I think everyone would understand if we cooled it this year, considering the twins are barely three months old, and you and Mom haven’t exactly slept a whole night through since they were born.”

As his son said the words, Oliver could feel the fatigue sitting heavy in his limbs. It had been a hard few months. Will being off at college left a considerable void of the amount of arms that could pick up and carry one of the younger ones around the house. And between Wes’ weekly counseling sessions, Ada’s dance lessons, Elizabeth trying her hand at painting this month, and Mia being extra clinging to both him and Felicity since the twins were born, Oliver really didn’t have a lot of free time to rest. Because on top of all the family stuff he still had the team to worry about. He couldn’t just leave it to the rest of them. Digg had JJ, Connor, and baby Sara to worry about, Roy and Thea were expecting soon, and Dinah had the girls too.

“I’ve managed on way less sleep with way worse problems to deal with.”

“I know you think that’s comforting, but it just sounds sad.”

“Is Daddy sad?” Mia asked as looked up from the play kitchen set she had dragged into the room. Which he would find adorable if she wasn’t blocking the exact cabinet his bowls were in. 

“No sweetheart, never,” he kissed the side of her head, sneaking his hand into the small opening to grab the bowls. “What are you making?”

“Pumpin pie,” she replied as she continued to stir about an inch above the plastic saucepan. 

“Well I bet it’s gonna be delicious.”

“Daddy!” Ada screamed as she and Eliza came running into the room. “Wes won’t let me practice my singing in the living room!”

“She’s been hogging the TV all morning,” Wes complained as he filed in behind the girls. “It’s not fair.”

“Ada, I said you could have an hour.”

“I don’t know how long an hour is.” she scoffed. 

“That seems like it’s on you Daddy,” Eliza added with a nod. 

“Go play in the playroom, both of you, and let Wes have the TV,” he said. “And here, get Mia to go with you.”

“No,” Mia shook her head. “I help cook.”

“Okay,” he turned back to Will with a sigh. “See everything is under control.”

“Say it with me: pizza.”

“William either grab the potatoes and help me with peeling, or get out of the kitchen.”

Will rolled his eyes but he went to work on the side dishes. “I just think you should have asked for more help this year. Tommy and Dinah would have come over early to pitch in. And Quentin and Donna are just relaxing on the Waverider with Sara and the girls. Many people could be preparing this meal.”

He gave his son a look as he went to grab his garlic butter mix to baste the turkeys with. Everything would be fine if he stuck to the perfect schedule. Besides dessert was already done and Tommy promised to bring the rolls. He just had to make sure the turkey, stuffing, potatoes, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce all got done too. He could handle all that, even with Mia just under foot. No problem. As long as nothing went wrong.

He heard the cry a second after he put the third turkey in the oven. He had hoped he heard wrong, that maybe his tired mind was just playing tricks on him. Maybe it was Owen’s ‘I’m hungry’ cry or his ‘rock me by the window’ cry. It could even be his ‘roll me back towards Miriam’ cry. It didn’t have to be his--

“Oliver,” Felicity came down the back stairs with their baby boy wailing as loud as he could. Which was definitely his ‘I want Daddy’ cry.

He took the towel off the stove handle and wiped his hands before he came over and took the baby from his wife’s arms. “Hey baby boy, what’s the fuss.”

He quieted a little when he realized whose arms were holding him, but still Owen had worked himself up, and it would be at least twenty minutes before he got his son down again. 

“Okay, Will take over with the stuffing, the instructions are right there,” he pointed to the counter as he bounced Owen in his arms. “I will be back down in half an hour at most. If you need help pull Wes.” 

“I could help,” Felicity added. 

He was about to protest before he saw her smile. “Hilarious.”

“I know I am,” she said, giving him a quick kiss. “Go get the baby down, and do not wake Miriam. She slept through the ‘daddy’ cry, it’s a giant step.”

“I will do my best.”

Before he could move he felt tiny arms wrap around his leg and he looked down to see Mia attached to him.

“Daddy and Mia cook,” she said with a grumpy look on her face. “No baby Owen.”

Like him, Felicity could sense that Owen wouldn’t take the standing still for too much longer. So his wife knelt down to Mia’s level to talk to her. “Wouldn’t you rather play kitchen with your cool mommy?”

“Mommy don’t cook. Daddy cook with Mia.”

“I will be right back sweetie,” he gave her a smile. “And if you let me go take care of your brother, I will let you put the whipped cream on your own pie this time.”

She considered it for a moment, nodded then let go and ran off through the house.

“Bribing a two year old. Father of the year.”

“Hey it worked,” he teased then focused his attention back to Owen. “Come on baby boy let’s go for a ride upstairs. Yeah doesn’t that sound fun?”

Owen had quieted and his were ever focused on Oliver as they climbed the stairs and headed to the nursery. 

He entered as quiet as he could, seeing Miriam sleeping peacefully in her crib as he made his way over to the rocking chair by the window.

“I know this wasn’t a rocking chair moment,” he whispered to his son as he sat down and settled Owen in his arms. “But this is the best spot to talk right?”

Owen cooed at him, grabbing at Oliver’s fingers. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

He loved sitting his his kids. In fact ever since Eliza and Ada, rocking his babies and talking to them had become Oliver’s top favorite things in his life. Any moments with his kids really. But he had missed all the baby stuff with William, and he wouldn’t take these moments for granted. Not ever.

“So did I ever tell you the story about how I met your mommy?” he asked looking down at Owen’s wide eye gaze. “I had the best cover story about a laptop. Don’t let her tell you any different okay, it was genius.”

\---

Oliver heard his son’s laughter somewhere around him, but sleep had curled around him and it took a few moments before his eyes fully opened to see Mia on her little step stool, face pressed against the slates in Owen’s crib. 

His baby boy was giggling like crazy, and it in turn seemed to have the same effect on Mia.

He stood up slowly and came to stand near them. “Whatcha doing Mia girl?”

She looked up at him, her tongue still out, as a smile curled onto her face. “Daddy had a nap.”

“He really didn’t mean to,” Oliver said as he picked up his daughter and settled her against his hip. “Why did no one wake me?”

“Mommy and Will said you needed a nap,” she said as she looked back down at Owen and made another face. 

Owen giggled again, kicking his feet as he did.

“He’s not so bad huh?” Oliver asked as Mia looked back at him.

She shrugged. “He drools. But he smiles big.”

“Yeah, kinda like yours,” he said, tickling her sides as he got a smile out of her. He couldn’t think of a better way to wake up. 

It took a few seconds for Oliver to remember that he still had a hundred things to do before his guests arrived. “Oh no, I gotta get to the kitchen.”

She shook her head. “They gots it covered.”

Oliver picked up Owen, and carried the two of them back to the kitchen, he couldn’t get Mia to elaborate on what she meant at all.

But as soon as he came down the second flight of stairs he could hear the sounds of laughter and talking coming from his kitchen. 

Quentin and Tommy had the boys with him in the kitchen, working on all the things that he had left to finish for dinner. Donna had Miriam in her lap while Felicity, Sara, Dinah, and Laurel shared a bottle of wine.

“What’s all this?” he asked, setting Mia down when she reached for the floor.

His middle daughter rushed off towards the backyard and he almost protested. 

“Don’t worry, Nyssa has the other kids running off all their energy outside, Thea is supervising, and Roy went to go pick up more butter,” Felicity said as she stood up to take Owen from his arms. “Hi my baby boy. Did you and Daddy have a good nap?”

“You guys didn’t have to let me sleep,” Oliver wasn’t used to feeling this out of it, when so many people were over. And he really wasn’t used to being so far removed from the things happening in his own kitchen.

“Ollie come on,” Tommy chuckled as he clapped him on the shoulder. “We all know your pretty much superhuman, minus any actual meta gene. But even super dad’s gotta sleep.”

“I’m with Merlyn on that one.” Quentin interjected. “Besides Will and Wes had most of this handled before we even got here.”

Wes strugged, but William just pulled him to his side. “Couldn’t have done it without him.”

“Because he almost forgot the sage for the stuffing,” Wes teased. 

Oliver couldn’t help but smile, looking at his family packed in his kitchen, then out the bay window at the kids as they all piled on their aunt Nyssa, Thea throwing her head back in laughter. 

“Oh honey,” Felicity grabbed his attention as she settled into his side, having lost Owen to Sara and Dinah now. “Moira and Walter called well you were asleep. They said they’d call back later to talk to you.”

This is what he had wanted, all the people he loved surrounding him. He gave her a soft kiss as he pulled her close to him. 

“What are you thinking about?” she asked as she smiled up at him. 

He let out a content sigh, looking around once more. “Just everything I’m thankful for.”

**Author's Note:**

> Queen Kiddos:  
> Miriam and Owen: 3 months old  
> Mia: 2 going on 3 yrs  
> Ada and Eliza: Just turned 5 yrs  
> Wes: 10 yrs (adopted/foster son)  
> Will: 18 yrs


End file.
